A Dose of Reality with Charles Spence28 Maj 2025

Johan Baeck, EVP and CMO at Promontory Therapeutics – Cultural Fit in Hiring, Immunogenic Small Molecules, and Building Resilience in Biotech

In this episode, I talked with Johan Baeck, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Promontory Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech focused on developing novel small molecule immunogenic anti-cancer therapies.

Johan shares insights from a career spanning large pharma (Novartis, Abbott) and biotech startups, with contributions to therapies like Vidaza, Kisqali, Zykadia, and PT-112. He also discusses why cultural fit is non-negotiable in hiring, how small molecules can trigger anti-tumor immune responses, and the personal journey of shifting from commercial to clinical focus.

In this episode, we cover:

How small molecules like PT-112 can trigger immune responses against cancer, and why this approach stands apart from traditional immunotherapies.
Why cultural fit is a critical success factor for biotech hiring, and how the wrong hire can break a small company's momentum.
How CMOs in biotech balance hands-on clinical work with C-suite leadership and constant fundraising challenges.

Timestamps:

01:26 Johan’s Journey: From practicing physician to entering pharma

04:38 Lessons from a difficult career moment

04:49 PT-112 and a novel approach to cancer treatment

08:43 A culture of curiosity, openness, and diverse backgrounds

10:15 Hiring the right fit: why technical skill isn’t enough

18:46 Challenges facing CMOs in biotech

23:46 What defines a high-performing clinical team

26:03 Best and worst practices in recruitment

About Johan

Johan Baeck is EVP and Chief Medical Officer at Promontory Therapeutics. His experience spans clinical development, medical affairs, and commercial operations across large pharma and biotech. He has contributed to the development of therapies like Vidaza, Kisqali, Zykadia, and PT-112, and has lived and worked across three continents, bringing a global perspective to clinical innovation.

Connect with Johan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanbaeck/
Website: https://promontorytx.com/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.

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